"It's neither illness nor poisoning, Your Highness, could you be possessed by an evil spirit?"
At this point, Qin Yu's eyes lit up!
"Possessed by an evil spirit? I've heard of a particularly vicious form of witchcraft in the Western Regions. The Empress's symptoms do seem quite similar to what I've heard!"
As a modern person, Qin Yu certainly wouldn't believe in any talk of possessed ghosts or spirits.
He is a staunch materialist.
Even if a person is physically weak, they wouldn't suddenly exhibit such a strong reaction.
All doubts point to only one conclusion.
It's poisoning!
But who could attack the Empress so quietly, with such sophisticated poison techniques that they were impossible to detect? Only that group of people must have the power and means to do so.
I might as well pretend I don't know and just keep acting.
"Since you've been struck by the Nightmare Spell, we must quickly perform a ritual to ward off the evil! Here's what we'll do: quickly summon Abbot Liu!"
"yes!"
Soon, Liu Caiqing hurriedly arrived.
"Quick! Look at Her Majesty the Empress, what's wrong with her?"
The two exchanged a glance, and the latter stretched out her slender, delicate hand, her fingertips sliding over Jie Zhaoyan's entire body.
At first, Liu Caiqing also showed a puzzled expression, but soon her expression turned serious.
She withdrew her hand and sighed.
"This is neither a disease nor a poison."
"What exactly happened to Yan'er?"
Sitting on her sickbed, Liu Caiqing explained in a soft voice.
"What the Empress has been afflicted with is a kind of Gu poison, or you could call it a Gu poison!"
"This is a secret technique of the Beiming Sect that has been lost for a long time. It involves taking skin fragments or hair from the victim's body to use as a medium to cultivate poison!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and unleashed a terrifying killing intent from his entire body!
Liu Caiqing was startled; it was the first time she had ever seen the emperor so angry.
Lifting Zhao Yan's delicate chin, the intense purplish-blue color on her cherry lips was frighteningly intense.
"Your Majesty! These poisonous powders, once ingested by those affected by the spell, only cause poisoning in the affected individuals, making them extremely difficult to detect."
"The symptoms resemble weakness, but that's not the case. The more you rest and take tonics, the stronger the poison in your body will become, and the more it will promote blood circulation, leading to a faster onset of the poison!"
"The bluish-purple color on the Empress's lips indicates that the poison has spread to a very serious level!"
No wonder all the imperial physicians were at a loss, and even after searching through books, they could not find the poison. It turns out that Zhao Yan had been poisoned with such a hidden and vicious Gu poison!
Qin Yu's anger was palpable; this time, Zhao Yan's life was truly hanging by a thread!
Seeing his beloved woman being tortured to the point of unconsciousness, he was like a volcano about to erupt, his eyes filled with a chilling murderous intent.
"Investigate! I will make the poisoner pay the price!"
The secret of the Gu poison is known to few. If you entrust it to ordinary guards to investigate, they certainly won't find anything.
So Qin Yu and Liu Caiqing started to deduce it together.
"Yan'er, what has the Empress eaten these past few days? Who has handled the water she has drunk?"
Zi Yan pondered for a moment, and finally answered with certainty, "Your Majesty, ever since Her Majesty pretended to eat hot pot with you last time, she has been extremely weak."
"Aside from the tonics sent by the Imperial Physician's Office, she hasn't eaten anything else. Even the water was brought by me to serve Her Highness."
Hearing this, Qin Yu became even more puzzled.
The tonics in the Imperial Physicians' Building have all undergone strict inspection by the palace. The imperial physicians were terrified, so the problem shouldn't be with the tonics.
If the poison didn't enter through the mouth, then where else could it have come from?
"Gu poison is almost completely different from ordinary poisons; it does not necessarily have to be ingested to enter the body."
As she spoke, Liu Caiqing pulled the blanket down a little, revealing that the inside of Zhao Yan's collar was clearly covered with a light, glossy, reflective powder.
"Look, the poison powder is stuck to the Empress's clothes; it was ingested through here!"
While surprised by the subtle method of poisoning, Qin Yu immediately had a clue.
Now that the scope is limited to clothing, it's much easier to find.
"Who is responsible for washing the Empress's clothes?"
"This servant girl needs to be investigated further!"
The palace had many rules and regulations, such as who washed which meal and which clothes, especially for concubines of the empress's rank, the records would be even more detailed.
Before long, Ziyan returned carrying the duty roster of the Laundry Department of the Imperial Laundry Bureau.
"Your Majesty, look! The one who cleaned the Empress's gold-threaded skirt the other day was none other than the palace maid Ruhua!"
Now it was almost certain that the poison was administered by Ru Hua. Without hesitation, Qin Yu immediately summoned his servants.
"Go! Bring Ruhua up to me!"
Half the palace was instantly bustling with activity, but after searching carefully for most of the day, they still couldn't find Ruhua's figure.
A eunuch hurriedly returned to report.
"The Imperial Household Department said that the palace maid disappeared last night, along with a guard from outside the palace. They must have eloped!"
Elopement with a guard?
Upon hearing this answer, Qin Yu immediately shook his head. How could it be such a coincidence?
This guard must have been the one who delivered the message; they should all have been silenced!
Liu Caiqing had been trying to diagnose and treat Zhao Yan for a long time, but to no avail.
"The Gu poison is strange. I must go back immediately and consult the Taoist classics. There should be something recorded in those books!"
"Your Majesty! During this period, you must ensure that the Empress continues to sweat to prevent the toxins from penetrating deeper into her body!"
Anfu, who was standing beside her, immediately ordered someone to light the charcoal stove to heat it up, while Ziyan asked, "Your Majesty! This servant will go and get another quilt for the Second Miss!"
These methods can certainly raise body temperature and induce sweating, but for Zhao Yan, they are a form of torture.
In this sweltering heat, with sweat already soaking through, it would be even worse if I caught a chill.
"You don't necessarily have to use this method to induce sweating!"
Qin Yu pondered for a moment, then solemnly entrusted An Fu with these instructions.
"Go and gather some men to clear out the small woodshed next door..."
He initially thought Qin Yu's idea was quite inappropriate, but after a brief explanation, he immediately understood.
"Yes! This old servant will do it right away!"
What Qin Yu wanted to build was a complete sauna room. Fortunately, there was a firewood room of the right size in the palace. With just a little modification, it would be perfectly usable.
The servants also worked diligently, and after several hours of effort, a sauna room was finally completed.
Although it is indeed a bit rudimentary, it has all the necessary functions, and the inside has been preheated to a high temperature.
A short while later, Zhao Yan was helped inside by the servants.
"Ziyan, you may leave. I will take care of the Empress."
"yes!"
He put his arm around Zhao Yan's shoulder, and her reaction was even more worrying. She hadn't completely fainted, but the color of her lips, which indicated the degree of poisoning, had become even darker.
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